Farmers are under a lot of pressure, not only to be more productive but also to be more sustainable. SustaiN is a nitrogen fertiliser that helps them be both – by increasing pasture growth and reducing nitrogen loss. Many progressive farmers are already using SustaiN, so this year Ballance wanted to make sure the message hit the mark with a more traditional audience. Previous messaging focused on the dollar gains. This time we wanted to find a new way to talk about SustaiN – something that would break the mould and give farmers emotional reasons to believe.

We wanted to show that Ballance is in their corner – backing them with the tools to succeed. For farmers, any investment in their farm is personal. It’s not just money – it’s blood, sweat and tears. We brought this to life through a series of gritty portraits of real New Zealand farmers, with headlines capturing the 24/7 nature of their work. Supported with a product giveaway, the campaign generated high awareness and strong sales of the product. One of our ads was tweeted and retweeted for its unconventional and positive portrayal of a female farmer.